Pipe lining apparatus



Aug. 17, 1943. w. R. BREND.

PIPE LINING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 50, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 AHOHNEYJ Y Aug. 17, 1943. w. R. BREND i PIPE LINING APPARATUS Filed sept. so, 1941 3 sheets-sheet s ill Sv Patented Aug. 17, 19,43

UNITEo sTATEs PATENT oFFicE PIPE LINING APPARATUS William R. Brend, East Orange, N. J., assignor to Lock Joint Pipe Company, East Orange, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey A Application September 30, 1941, Serial No. 412,945 (ci. 91-44) 8 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for lining pipe. Y f

It is among the objects of the invention to provide apparatus for applying a lining of concrete or of other plastic material and by which a lining of great density may be obtained.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus for employing a plurality of impelling elements which operate simultaneously for projecting streams of concrete or other plastic material in constantly changing directions.

Other objects of the present invention will be hereinafter set forth in the accompanying speciiication and claims and demonstrated by the drawings which show by way of illustration a preferred embodiment and the principle of my invention, and what I now consider the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle. Other embodiments of the invention employing the same principle may be'used and structural changes made as desired by those skilled in the art within the spirit of the appended claims and without departing from the present invention.

In the drawings, Fig. l shows a side elevation of the apparatus,

partly in section,-in position within a pipe.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the apparatus at the distributing head. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section through the distributing head end ofthe apparatus, and

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. The apparatus and process of this invention is concerned primarily with lining the interior of` pipes with plastic materials and particularly materials which are plastic and moldable and which subsequently harden or set in a solid mass. The apparatus is particularly suitable for applying coatings of such plastic materials as contain solid matter or aggregate such' as mixtures containing sand, or other concrete materials, mixed with cement. Eiiicacy of the process of the apparatus through suitable connection by a motor` I4.

of the invention illustrated in the drawings, the apparatus is mounted for travel through a pipe line but the apparatus may be arranged to eX- tend within a s ection of pipe during fabrication.

. choice oi speed of carriage travel depends upon resides in its capability for applying concrete at 4 a rapid rate and under conditions which produce a well-anchored and long-wearing coating. To eiect this, the apparatus is .designed to project a stream of plastic material at a high velocity, with the result that the interior of a pipe,

ings or `courses of plastic material upon the interior wall of a pipe in such a manner as to form a continuous lining. In the embodiment the capacity of the ribbons or streams of material which are. being applied and the thickness of the lining desired.

The front wheel I3 is a steering wheel, and a handle I'I is provided to control the' direction of. movement of thecarriage. The carriage in- -cludes a casing I8 which comprises a hopper lI9 and a tubular chamber 240 in communication. with each other. The tubular chamberincludes the lower rounded part of the hopper forming Ya trough 2| ,andl an annular conveying conduit 22 which discharges into the rotary distributing head 23, as shown in Fig. 3. The hopper I9 dis'- charges directly into* the conveying conduit 22 and the material i-n the conveying conduit is advanced therethrough and to the distributing head 23 under power.

The casing I8 is stationary upon the carriage and the plastic material contained therein is advanced by a pair of worms 25, 26, mounted upon hollow shaft 2l'. The center of the hollow shaft and worms is coaxial with the tubular passage 2&9. The frontend of the hollow shaft is mounted in bearing 28 at the front end of the carriage. The other end-of the hollow shaft is supported indirectly from casing YI8 bymeans of bearings 29, the rotary distributinghead 23 and a partially conical member 3l) to -which the distributing head and hollow shaft 21 are secured. The hollow shaft 2l has a tight fit with the 'partially conical member 30 and the distributn ing head is detachably 'connected to member 30 by screws 24. A pt cking seals the bearings' 29 from the material contained in tube 22.

Bearings 29 are supported by the tube 22 which extends from casing I8. It is apparent, therefore, that the hollow shaft, with its worms, partially conical member 38 and the distributing head 23 all rotate together with respect to casing I 8 and carriage .I 0.

As seen in Fig. l, the drive for these elements includes amotor 3|, a gear reduction unit 32, gears 33, shaft 34 and gears 35. The gears of the reduction unit and of the transmission are chosen so as t'o rotate the hollow shaft with its Worms and the distributing head at a speed which is comparatively low with respect to the rotary speed of the impelling mechanism of the apparatus. By changes in gearing different angular speeds of the Worms and the distributing head may be obtained.

The material is advanced through the conveying tube 22 under propulsion from the worms and is directed laterally by the conical member 30 which maintains separate the two streams being advanced by the respective worms 25 and 26, Figs. 3 and 4.

An advantage of the present apparatus resides in the fact that it provides for the constant application of two individual streams of material in one passing of the apparatus through a pipe. These streams may overlap each other or be applied to the interior of the pipe as double adjacent helices, depending upon the width of the streams and the rate of travel ofthe apparatus.

The distributing head includesa plate casting 31 enclosing conduits 36 and 38 which communicate with opposite sides of Worms 25 and 26 (Fig. 4) and discharge respectively into impeller casings 39, 40. Each impeller casing is secured to the plate 31 and is provided with a discharge opening 4|, 42, which uncovers a portion vof the periphery of a rotary impelling element. 'Ihere are tWo rotary impelling elements 43,l 44. Each discharge opening extends for practically the full width of a brush, but may be narrower if desired.

Impeller casings 38 and 40 need not extend circumferentially over as much ofthe periphery of the respective impellers as is illustrated in Fig. 4, but the dispositions illustrated have the effect of preventing uncontrolled spattering of material from the rotating impellers, as Well as of contributing to the rigidity of support' for their bearings.

For an impelling element, I employ a cylindrical brush preferably made of bristles consisting of metallic spring steel or other suitable spring material which is sufficiently tough to withstand attrition and at the same time provide sufficient resilience to impart high velocity to the particles of plastic material which are picked up and batted out through the discharge openings 4|, 42. I have found that spring steel Wire forms satisfactory bristles for use in an apparatus for applying coatings of cement or concrete.

The projection of plastic material from a rotary impelling brush is in a direction substantially tangential to the periphery of the impelling brush. v

The rotation of the distributing head is' counterclockwise, as seen from the end of the apparatus, Fig. 2, and clockwise as viewed in Fig. 4. As the head rotates the plastic material is forced into passages 36 and 38 by the worms 25 and 26 cient energy to the particles of material picked up thereby to cause them to impact against the interior of the pipe and upon each other to form a coating.

The shaft 56 by which the brushes are driven is mounted at its rear end in bearing 49, Fig. 3.

' This bearing is supported by the distributing head plate 31. Shaft 56 is contained within hollow shaft 21 and its front end is journalled in bearing 50 which is supported -by the main casing I9. The shaft is driven from motor 3| through a chain and sprocket connection 5|, Fig. 1.

Eachbrush is journalled in the distributing head plate 31 and in its associated casing 39, 40. The shaft 52 upon which brush 43 is mounted, is driven from shaft 56 by a chain and sprocket connection 53, and a similar connection 54 is provided for driving shaft 55 from the same shaft, Fig. 3.

A housing 51 is preferably employed to cover the chain and sprocket connections 53 and 54. This housing is bolted` to the distributing head plate 31. Whenever it is desirable to use a trowelling mechanism, such mechanism may be mounted upon this housing. The trowelling mechanism may assume any well-known form.

It is preferable that trowelling mechanism be provided for each stream of material and two are shown, Fig. 2. Each of these consists of an arm 6| bolted to housing 51. This arm carries a pivot upon which a lever 62 is mounted. One end of the lever carries a, trowel member 63 which is pivoted upon the lever. The other end of the lever is secured to a' spring 64 which is stretched between the lever and a fixed supportV 65.*This spring causes the trowel to be pressed and discharged against the cylindrical surfaces of 4the rotating brushes 43 and 44. Centrifugal force assists in compacting the material against the ends of the bristles. The result 0f the rotation of the hollow shaft and distribuing head is to deliver the material continuously to the outside surfa'ces of the brushes and proximate the previously been applied to the interior of the pipe. The position of the trowelling element is such as to bear upon and smooth over the material Whichhas been applied by the stream immediately preceding the trowel.

It is one of the advantages of the invention that the axis of rotation of the streams of plastic material does not have to be located exactly on the axis of a pipe which is being lined. This is because of the high velocity developed in the projected material. 'I'hese axes are shown as being coaxial in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, but should the pipe be a little smaller or a little larger, the effectiveness of .operation would not be impaired. In a smaller pipe, the axis of the y circular trace of the streams at the impellers would be above the axis of the pipe so that in the lower half of circular travel of the streams the path of travel from the impelling points to the pipe. wall would be greater than that of the streams when applying material to the uppe; half of the pipe wall. The highyelocity of the mov-A ing particles tends to minimize any effect due to difference in lengths of path of travel. Accordingly, there is no need .to provide for special adjustment as the same apparatus'may be used to serve pipes of different diameters within limits. The ern/bodiment of the invention which has been described is designed particularly for lining a pipe line. The inv/ention has application also/to'apparatus for lining the interior of a sec- Vtion of pipe in the fabrication of pipe.

cement. Coatings of sand and aggregates, such as gravel and crushed stone, mixed with cement,

and coatings of cement and asbestos are also effectively applied.

The coating obtained is characterized by its density. This is because of the effects produced by the manner in which the concrete is applied. The operation of each brush maintains a uniform and steady stream of concrete which is finely divided into minute particles' which are uniformly distributed throughout the stream..

This results from the manner in Which the brush picks up the concrete from a constantly advancing supply of concrete coming into Contact with /its rotating surface.l The relatively large num- `material from said rotatable member and with its impelling surface intersecting said circular path of distribution, means for providing plastic material to said rotatable member, means for rotating said rotatable member, and means for rotating said rotatable impelling element for causing projection of plastic material'from its circular path as distributed from the rotatable member.

2. In apparatus for applying plastic material to the interiorY of a pipe, the combination comprising a member for distributing plastic material in a circular path, a rotatable impelling element mounted upon said rotatable member and having a portion of its periphery located for intersecting the circular path of delivery of plastic material from said distributing member, and

means for rotating said rotatable impelling element for projecting plastic material received thereon from said distributing member.

3. In apparatus for applying plastic materialto the interior of a pipe, the combination comprising a casing, means for advancing plastic material through saidcasing, a distributing head mounted-for rotation on said casing, said disy tributing head having a conduit in communication with said casing, a rotatable impelling element mounted upon said distributing head -beyond the exit end 'of said conduit, means for rotating said distributing head and conduit, and means for rotating said rotatable impelling element for projecting plastic matexial'discharged from the exit end of said conduit. v v

4. In apparatus for applying plastic material to the interior of a pipe, the combination comprising a casing, a rotatable distributing head, means for advancing material through said casing and tosaid `distributing head, said distributing head having conduits for receiving plastic material being advanced through said casing, a plurality of rotatable impelling elements carried by said vdistributing head and located with portions of their peripheries intersecting the circular path of delivery of plastic material from the exit ends of said conduits, means for rotating said distributing head, and -means for rotating said rotatable impelling elements.

5. In apparatus for applying plastic material to the interior of a pipe, the combination coinprising a casing, a rotatable distributing head, a double worm Ifor advancing material through said casing and to said distributing head, said distributing hea-d having conduits for receiving plastic materiallbeing advanced by said double worm, a plurality of rotatable vimpelling elements mounted on said distributing head. said impelling elements having portions of their peripheries cpposite the exit endsof said conduits, means for rotating said double worm and distributing head, andmeans for rotating said rotatable impelling elements.

6. In apparatus for .applyingA plastic material to the interior of a pipe, the combination comprising a casing for containing plastic material, means vin said casing for separating the contents of 'said casing into tvvo' portions, a distributing hea-d, said distributing hea-dhaving a conduit in communication with and receiving plastic ma teral from'one portion of said casing and another conduit communicating with and receiv- 'ing material fromthe second portion of said casing, a pair of. rotatable brushes located upon said distributing head, one of said brushes having a portion of its periphery opposite the exit end of one of said conduits and the other of said rotatable brushes having a' portion of its periphery opposite the exit end of the second of said conduits, means for rotating said distributing head, and means for rotating said rotatable 'brushes for diverting plastic material from the exit ends of said conduits and laterally of the distributing head.

'7. In apparatus' for applying plastic material to the interior of a pipe, the combination com-- prising a rotatable member for distributing plas- .tic material in a circular. path, means to rota-te said rotatable member, -a rotatablebrush mounted upon said rotatable member and having its.

terial to said distributing member and brush.

8. Inapparatus for applying'plastic material to the interior of a pipe, the combinationcomprising a casing, a rotatable distributing head,

means for advancing material through said casing and to Said distributing head, said distributing head having conduits for receiving plastic material being advanced through said casing, a plurality of rotatable brushes mounted on said distributing head and positioned with portions of their peripheries oppositethe exit ends 0f said conduits yso as to receive thereon plastic material delivered from the conduits, means for rotating said distributing head, and means for rotating said rotatable brushes.

WILLIAM R. BREND. 

